Shining Lights
by OhMyDeadGod
Summary: A multi-part AU Laurwalk. What will happen when the world of a professional ballerina and a movie star collide under the shining lights of New York City? features other members of team starkid
1. Chapter 1

Shining Lights

"Lauren! We need you in the wings in five minutes. You Ready?"

"Yeah! Hang on just a sec." Lauren called back as she finished placing the finally bobby pin into her perfect bun. Tonight, for the fourth night this week, Lauren Lopez was going to be living her dream as a professional ballerina for the Royal Ballet Company. After only a year working with the company in New York City, the petite girl had landed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in their annual production of the Nutcracker.

Taking a deep breath, Lauren looked into the mirror in front of her and smoothed out her lacy cream bodice before placing her hands on her hips right above her platter tutu. She reminded herself how lucky she was before stepping away to jog off towards the stage. Out of millions of girls wishing to grow up and be a part of a ballet company known around the world, Lauren had somehow made it to the top.

When Lauren got the wings of the stage, she ran through her mental check list one more time. Her pointe shoes where correctly laced around her slender ankles, her tutu fell in just the right spot on her hips, and not even one stray hair fell on her face.

"Just dance like you have been dancing the last four nights and you will be perfect. Chin up, shoulders down, and breath." The arts directors said coming up behind Lauren, laying a hand on Lauren toned back.

Lauren nodded and put on a smile as she looked behind herself at the arts director. She was a woman Lauren respected and would never let any advice from lady slip past her ears. "Thank you mam" Lauren said before returning her attention back towards the stage to wait for her que.

Through Lauren had already been warm for hours, having rehearsed is several classes today, she did a few relevés back stage to stretch out her feet. Lauren's nerves where churning in her stomach, but she pushed that feeling aside as she stepped gracefully onto the stage, a smile illuminating her face.

With the brilliant lights shining down on her, Lauren found her home. She danced the piece that she knew by heart after rehearsing for months. She made all the sweet, blood, and pain worth it during another flawless performance. Every turn was precise, arabesque was square, and each little step was placed right on count. The end of Lauren's solo, her moment in the spotlight, came far too quickly, but Lauren reminded herself that she still had nine more performances to go until the Sugar Plum Fairy was taken away from her.

Running off sage, a smile was still placed upon Lauren's angelic face. Back in the dressing room, Lauren when to work, quickly taking off her pointe shoes to relieve her aching feet. She was interrupted though when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Miss Lopez, Someone is here to see you." A sharp voice said behind her. Lauren's turned on her butt to see the art director standing behind her.

Joe Walker had been dragged to the ballet by some of his close friends while having the weekend off from filming his upcoming movie. Filming for the movie star's latest project had begun in New York City a little over a month ago and Joe was all for the weekend off.

When his friends called him up early Thursday morning about getting together, Joe had expected to hit a small bar, grab a few beers, and catch up from where they had all left off. Man was her wrong. For some reason, his friends had decided to drag him off the Nutcracker. After explaining to Joe that A) they would be able to see hot girls in only leotards and tights that showed off everything and B) Joe needed to do something to get into the Christmas spirit, he had accepted their offer.

Of course, the moment he had stepped out of the cab to enter the theater, the media had surrounded him. Questions about his latest movie, personal life, and current love interest were thrown his way, but with experience, Joe had learned to ignore them all. Because the truth was, even the hottest guy in Hollywood couldn't stay in a stable relationship or find the right girl for him.

"Glad you could make it. I thought all those people might damage your pretty face." One of Joe's friends said, clapping him on the back.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Cut it out Joey. I know how much you just _love_ making fun of me, but can we just lay off tonight." He responded, matching his stride with his friend's as they walked into the auditorium to take their seats.

"Good to see you too." Joey added with a laughed as he took his seat in one of the red velvet chairs in the box they were seated in.

Joe took his seat next to his friend and before he could respond to Joey, the lights began to dim and the Ballet started. Joe was only mildly entertained as the story being told was expressed through movements and music instead of words. It was a nice break from the movie world, but Joe had never really found the beauty in Ballet.

That statement held true until a petite brunette took the stage. Her stage presence made Joe's eyes move back and forth across the stage with her. The young woman glowed with elegance and confidence as she danced. Her movements' flowed together and not one step was miss placed.

"I have to meet her." Joe said standing after the woman excited the stage. Despite Joey's hands trying to pull Joe back down into his seat, the man raced from the box, desperately trying to find a way to get back stage. Somehow, through the maze of long hallways, Joe found himself in an area he knew he wasn't supposed to be in.

"What are you doing back here young man?" A woman said, her voice cracking like a whip over all the commotion back stage. She glided over to Joe, narrowing her eyes. "The public does not have access to the back stage area." She added, looking over Joe with a blink of her shockingly green eyes.

"I-uh-I am I aware of that mam, but I was just wondering if I could meet one of your dancers." It was obvious to Joe that this woman had no idea who he was, so he wouldn't able to pull any strings. "She just came off stage. Cream bodice and a tutu; crown on her head." He added quickly as his eyes darted around trying to spot the figure of the petite ballerina. "There." He said, pointing to the girl who was making her way to another room, a smile across her face.

"What interest do you have in meeting Lauren Lopez?" She asked after looking over her shoulder to find one of her star dancers.

"I just- She was amazing on stage. I- please?" Joe said, unable to explain his need to meet the girl that had caught his eye.

"Follow me." The woman said snapping her head around, her bun of raven hair not even moving an inch at her sudden actions.

Before Joe had time to comprehend what was happening, the woman was making her way past other dancers, not even looking to see is the young man was following behind her. When he entered the room the woman had snaked her way into, Joe caught sight of the petite girl on the floor, looking up into the Woman's eyes with curiosity.

Joe bravely took a step toward the girl he had never met before in his life. "Hello, I'm Joe Walker." He said, his award winning smile spreading across his face as he saw the young woman up close. She was beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

Shining Lights: Part two

"Lauren Lopez." Lauren said with a smile. She pushed herself off the floor and took a few steps towards the man that had barged into her dressing room. Of course, Lauren knew the man. He was the Hollywood heartthrob, the boy everyone wanted to call their own. Lauren had never really gotten why everyone was so into him. Sure, Joe was good looking, but nothing about him was special to Lauren.

Lauren held her calm disposition as the man before her didn't really know what to say. "I have to be on stage again in twenty minutes." Lauren trailed off, looking around herself to see dancers running around her and Joe getting ready to be on stage.

"Oh well, I just wanted to tell you that you looked beautiful tonight." Joe said to Lauren, rubbing the back of his neck. It was obvious that he had really no idea why his need to meet Lauren Lopez was irresistible. "You seem like a really fantastic woman, and I would really like to get to know you better." Joe finally said

When Joe's blue eyes met her own brown ones, Lauren an unfamiliar warmth spread over her body. She had never been one to fall for guys, but at this moment in time, Lauren wouldn't turn down a time to get to know Joe a little better. Not just because of his fame, but because behind all Joe's photo shoots and movies, Lauren could see a man that was completely different than what people expected him to be like.

` "I'd would like to get to know you too Mr. Walker." Lauren said, a soft smile playing on her lips. "How 'bout this, leave your number in my phone and I can text you once I get done. Meet me back stage and we could go get drinks or something." Lauren said, surprised at her own ability to talk so calmly to a man she had just met, yet had been seeing forever on the big screen.

Turning on her heal, Lauren jumped over her pointe shoes which were still on the floor to reach her purse. She pulled out her phone and turned back to Joe. "I have to get ready, but here is my phone." Lauren said jumping back over to Joe.

"That sounds good." Lauren heard Joe say as she sat back down to put back on her pointe shoes. Once she stood she saw that Joe was still standing in front of her, his arm outstretched and Lauren's phone in hand.

"Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy-"Joe started to sing, as Lauren took her phone back.

"But here's my number, so call me maybe." Lauren jumped in, laughing.

"Lauren! We need you in the wings! Also Sharron wants that man gone!" The stage manager called into the room.

Lauren rolled her eyes, but a smile stayed on her face. "Sharon's the Arts director. Amazing lady, but she likes everything her way." Lauren said, picturing what the raven haired lady would do if she saw Joe was still in the dressing room.

Joe nodded. "Break a leg Lauren." Joe said with a friendly smile. He hesitated for a moment, his ocean blue eyes lingering on Lauren before turning to leave the dressing room to return to his seat.

Once Joe was gone, Lauren took a minute to warm back up her feet. She tried focusing on the chorography that she knew heart, but her thoughts always managed to find a way back to Joe. Shaking her head, as if that would help get rid of her lingering thoughts, Lauren left her dressing room, running to find her place in the wings.

During the finale scene, Lauren knew she had slipped up, starting a count too early on her turns and throwing the rest of her solo off. The ballerina inwardly scolded herself for making such a stupid mistake and not being focused enough on the task before her. Like any good performer though, she let no one know she had faltered. Instead she kept her confidence and professional attitude.

"Fucked that up." Lauren mumbled to herself as she exited the stage, her hands already moving to her bun to pull out bobby pins.

"Yeah you did. Just be glad you covered it well." Sharon said coming up behind Lauren. Sharon was never one to sugar coat anything, something Lauren had always loved her for doing, but right now, she really didn't want anything to do with it. "You have always gotten the timing right, what happened Lauren?" Sharon pestered her, laying a hand on her students shoulder.

"I just slipped up, Okay?" Lauren lied. The truth was that her mind had slipped back to Joe Walker. She pulled herself away from the arts director and made her way back into the dressing room. She sat down and started taking off her point shoes, massaging her feet gently once the pressure from the shoe was released. For a minute, Lauren debated not even texting Joe, but she figured she could use a drink. Sighing, Lauren picked up her phone a few minutes later.

_Changed and ready to head out of here. Meet me back in my dressing room –Lo_

xXx

When Joe had returned to Joey, he had been looked up and down by his friend. He knew he was smiling like crazy, but that didn't matter. Lauren Lopez was one of the most wonderful girls he had ever met. He loved it and hated it at the same time. He hated that he was falling head over heels for the petite ballerina that he had only spoken a few words to.

"So…" Joey prompted, turning his attention away from the ballet to gage his friend's expression.

"Lauren, Lauren Lopez." Joe said, taking his seat net to Joey. He avoided his friend's gaze as he continued. "We are going out together once she is done. Not a date, just to get to know each other." Joe explained quickly, thanking the lord that they were in a dark theater so Joey couldn't see his blush.

Joe felt Joey's eyes linger on him, knowing his friend was carefully examining the situation at hand. Joey knew how Joe felt about this girl, but like any good friend, he just nodded and turned back to the ballet.

When Lauren came back on stage for the finale, she again looked flawless. She was glowing in her cream costume and made every step look effortless. Joe wondered how so much perfection could be held in such a little package. Instead of questioning it through, he let his eyes follow Lauren around the stage, barley noticing that he had leaned forward on his seat to get a better view of Lauren.

All too soon though, the performance was over. Despite this, Joe knew that the minutes ticking by were only bringing him closer to seeing Lauren again. After standing ovations, Joe immediately pulled out his phone, eagerly awaiting his text from Lauren.

"Are you eager enough Walker?" Joey asked his friend, shoving him playfully as he stood to make his way out of the theater.

Joe laughed with his friend and rolled his eyes, but as he did so his phone lit up in his hands.

_Changed and ready to head out of here. Meet me back in my dressing room –Lo_

Joe quickly said good bye to Joey before running off to meet Lauren. When he got to her dressing room, she was the only one in there. She sat on the floor trying up her converse. She had changed out of costume and was now wearing a simple t-shirt with black leggings. Her makeup was wiped off her face, but Joe thought she still looked beautiful.

"Hey." He said walking towards Lauren. Her head shot up to the sound of Joe's voice and a small smile crossed her face, but Joe could tell her heart wasn't in it. "What's wrong?" He asked her, hoping that she would still want to go out with him for dinner.

Lauren sighed and shrugged. She stood up and grabbed her purse and her jacket from the chair behind her. "I messed up the timing on my last section. I never do that."

Joe could tell that Lauren was upset. He understood that she was a perfectionist, all dancers are, but he didn't want her to feel bad about it. "Hey, no, you looked great Lauren. I promise you no one in the audience could tell at you messed up. You were fabulous." Joe comforted her.

As he got closer to Lauren he pulled her into a hug. Even though he had just met the girl, it seemed like the right thing to do. Feeling Lauren return his hug, Joe smiled. "Now, let's go get dinner." He said, pulling away from Lauren and taking her hand to lead her out into the cold New York weather.


	3. Chapter 3

Joe had chosen a small locally owned restaurant for the pair to eat at. The atmosphere of the place instantly made Lauren feel better. Well, the atmosphere and the fact that Joe was with her.

The moment they had been seated the pair jumped into conversation like they were old friends; telling jokes and getting to know one another more and more through the course of the meal. The more they talked, the more both Lauren and Joe realized that they loved the person sitting across from them.

It was midnight when they were finally ready to leave the restaurant and Joe didn't want Lauren to walk back to her apartment alone. New York City at night was not always the most trustworthy place to be.

"Lo, do you mind if I walked you back to your apartment?" Joe asked, the nickname slipping off his lips before he could stop himself.

Lauren shook her head and smiled as Joe shortened her name. "No, it's not that far from here but it's always better to walk with someone at night." Lauren replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She realized walking home with Joe would also give her an excuse to spend more time with him.

Over dinner the ballerina had discovered that the movie star was not all he was made out to be. He was amazingly down to Earth for a guy with so much fame around him. Lauren could tell that sometimes he didn't welcome the fame but it was something he put up with to be able to do what he loved.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence, each daring to get close enough to the other to brush bodies but never quite close enough to hold hands. Both of them were trying to make their brains agree with their hearts. For the longest time Lauren and Joe had put the careers before their personal lives, but their hearts were starting to question if that was the right move.

When they arrived at Lauren's apartment, the pair turned to face each other. Both wore smiles as their eyes met; brown drowning in a sea of electric blue.

"Thanks for tonight. I'm really glad I got to know you. It was great to feel like I had a personal life, even if it was for a little while." Lauren spoke softly, keeping her eyes on Joe but shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"No, thank you. I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you Lauren. You really are such a wonderful person." Joe said, ignoring the heat starting to make its way across his cheeks as he let his heart slowly take over his brain.

Lauren smiled and nodded, shifting her gaze downward. She didn't want to say goodbye yet. She didn't want Joe to leave. Her eyes were still cast downward as she felt Joe's lips meet hers.

Lauren didn't think once she started to kiss Joe back. Instead she felt, letting herself forget about her job for once. As Joe pulled away she felt a girlish grin spread across her face

"I'm really sorry Lauren, but it seemed right. It just seems like you're the girl I have been looking for." Joe apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. He would have continued but a familiar bright flash caught his attention. "Shit Lauren, can we get inside?" Joe asked, nervously looking towards the door.

Lauren wasn't a fool; she knew the bright flash wasn't from a tourist, but someone wanting to make money off of Joe's life. She nodded and quickly turned to unlock the door, pulling Joe inside with her. As soon as they were inside, Lauren locked the door behind them and before Joe could say a word she started to speak, holding up a hand to silence them.

"Don't apologize Joe because I could possibly be falling for you. I'm still trying to sort out what my brain is telling me to do and what my heart wants, but don't apologize for that kiss." Lauren spoke in a rushed manner but by the end of it all she let her eyes fall back into Joe's.

There was a silence between the two for a moment before Joe pulled the petite girl into a hug, not knowing what else to do. "I don't want to go back out there Lo. What if they're still out there? Can I stay here tonight?" Joe asked Lauren, who currently had her head pressed into Joe's neck.

Lauren could tell Joe was a little taken back by the situation that had just happened on the front step of her apartment. His body was tense and his eyes were currently searching Lauren for any sign of a reaction to the event. Lauren would never let it show, but she wasn't all that fond of being the front page news in the morning. For Joe though, she would suck it up.

Lauren nodded and pulled back. "Yeah my roommate, Julia, shouldn't mind. She's asleep by now anyways. Follow me." she had grabbed Joe's hand and had started leading him towards her room. "We haven't had enough money to buy a couch so I hope you're fine sharing the bed." Lauren blushed slightly; with Julia being an upcoming author and herself just a dancer, there wasn't a whole lot of extra money between the two of them. Lauren opened the door to her room, knowing her bed would be big enough for the pair of them but she was still a little nervous about the whole situation.

Joe found that the inside of Lauren room was simple. Mementos of past years littered shelves and by her laptop was a stack of CDs. Her bed was clad with simple blue sheets. "Should be fine. Thank you so much Lauren." he said making his way over to the bed.

"Um Lauren I don't have any pajamas..." Joe started, waiting for Lauren to look at him. " Would it be awkward if I slept in my boxers? I don't want this to be awkward for you." Joe finished. He stood next to the bed nervously shifting his weight between his feet.

Lauren bit her lip and nodded. It had been a while since she had shared her bed with a man but she trusted Joe to respect her boundaries. "It should be fine. I'm going to go change. I'll be back in a sec." Lauren said turning towards the door and walking out.

During the time Lauren was gone, Joe slowly stripped down to his boxers. When Lauren walked back in wearing her pajama shorts and an oversized shirt Joe took in her beauty. Even dressed in clothes that she drowned in, the ballerina seamed to look perfect. He let himself smile at her before turning to the bed to pull back the covers.

Lauren returned Joe's smile and stood back a minute to take in his presence. From seeing his movies, Lauren had known Joe had a good body, but she figured most of it was airbrushed or such. With Joe standing before her though, Lauren realized he looked better in person than he did on the big screen. "So it's not all movie magic." Lauren whispered as she made her way over to Joe.

"What?" Joe asked looking up from climbing in bed.

"Nothing." Lauren said shaking her head. She climbed in beside Joe, their bodies not touching. "Good night Joe." Lauren said with a yawn, letting her eyes close.

"Good night Lauren." Joe responded watching the smaller girl fall asleep.

Eventually both of them drifted to sleep, unaware of how tangled up in each other they would be when they awoke the next morning. Because when you are asleep, your heart takes over your brain and often shows your truest desires. The ballerina and the celebrity were falling for each other under the shining lights of New York City where the truth is often hard to detangle from the lies.


	4. Chapter 4

Joe awoke tangled up in Lauren; his arms wrapped around her body as it was pressed up against his own. The smaller girl stirred slightly but remained asleep. Joe let himself smile before remembering why he had been woken.

Sighing Joe rolled over to his phone on the bedside table. As he did so a moan escaped from Lauren and she moved to press her body back into his. Joe shook his head, the smile still on his face, and moved to grab it. After unlocking his phone he found he had a missed call from his publicist.

"Shit." Joe whispered, knowing that whenever his publicist called nothing good had happened.

His voice had caused Lauren to wake. She rubbed her eyes as she looked up at Joe. "What is it?" She asked after yawning.

"A call from my publicist. Do you mind if I call him back?" Joe asked.

Lauren shook her head. "Nah. I'm going to hop in the shower. If Julia wakes up come get me." Lauren gave Joe a smile before rising from the bed and leaving the room.

The phone call with Joe's publicist was far from pleasant. Apparently the paparazzi had snapped multiple pictures of he and Lauren, not just the one of their kiss. these pictures had already been sold and some of them even gracing the cover of newspapers this morning.

"What do you want me to do about this Joe? The pictures have already been sold so we can't stop the publication but we can always release a statement about it." Joe's publicist spoke in a rushed manner. The man was always busy and rarely had a second for himself.

Joe sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. I don't know what all of this is. I like her, a lot actually, but we aren't a couple yet. Don't do anything."

"Yet? What do you mean by yet?" the publicist pushed. In the background Joe could hear shuffling papers and ringing phones.

"I don't know! Give me some time." Joe said becoming frustrated. With that Joe hung up and looked up to see Lauren in the doorway, her hair was already in a bun but she had her pajamas back on. "You heard a lot of that didn't you" Joe asked as Lauren walked into the room.

Lauren nodded. "I'm not for sure what this is or what we are but I do know I have feelings for you." Lauren admitted, stopping in front of Joe. She looked thoughtful for a moment before going on. "Three days. We give each other three days to figure out what we want. On the third day, December 24, come to my performance and we can talk afterwards." Lauren explained.

Joe nodded, pulling his clothes back on as Lauren talked to him. Her voice was soft but held a sort of authority. "Okay. I guess I will see you in three days then." he said straightening up.

Lauren nodded and followed Joe to the door. "Bye Walker." Lauren said playfully, pulling him into a hug before letting him open the door.

"Bye Lo." Joe said before reluctantly turning to open the door and leave Lauren.

xXx

"Who was that?"

Lauren looked up from pulling her sweatpants over her leotard and tights to see Julia standing in her room. Lauren sighed knowing that what happened between she and Joe would be hard to tell. "It's a long story Juls, don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it? I'm pretty sure you just had a one night stand because lord knows you refuse to go on dates and you're telling me to not worry?" Julia had crossed her arms over her chest and started walking towards Lauren.

"He slept in my bed. We didn't have sex." Lauren said as if that would clear everything up for Julia, but of course it didn't.

"Why would he in your bed?" Julia asked. "And who is this mystery man you took a liking too?" She added.

"Juls I have to get to the studio, I'll explain tonight when I get home." Lauren rushed, picking up her dance bag and swinging it over her shoulder. "I promise." She added, walking past Julia.

"You better." Julia mumbled, but let Lauren walk past her and out the door.

Lauren was instantly relieved when she walked into the studio, like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She went into her warm up class with a smile on her face. The studio was her home.

Being in class was good for Lauren; it cleared her mind. From an early age, Lauren was taught to place all her problems in a box and leave it outside of the dance room. She was here to dance.

Between classes Lauren was sitting on the floor getting ready to put her pointe shoes on when a dancer that had been in the company longer than Lauren came up to her. In her hand she held the entertainment section of the morning's newspaper. Lauren instantly knew she was in trouble.

"What is this?" the older girl asked Lauren, her eyebrows raising as she turned the paper to face Lauren.

Lauren was silent for a moment as she studied the paper. In the middle of the page was the picture taken in the middle of her and Joe's kiss last night. Scanning the article, Lauren discovered that her own name was mentioned. The paper slammed her, telling readers that all she wanted was a bit of Joe's money and fame, and then she would leave him. All of which was false.

"It's my personal life so stay out of it." Lauren fired back, her words filled with venom. She snatched the paper from the girl and shoved it into her dance bag.

"Doesn't seem very personal anymore." the girl mumbled before walking away from Lauren to get to her own class.

Lauren bit her cheeks to keep from directing another comment at the girl. The petite girl shook her head and went back to lacing up her pointe shoes. She now knew that with Joe in her life, nothing would ever be the same.

xXx

When Joe walked into his condo with Lauren still on his mind, he was surprised to find Joey casually sitting on his couch watching an episode of Downton Abbey. "Joey how did you get in here?" He asked, walking over to his friend and standing in front of him.

Joey shrugged casually. "You always keep an extra key under the mat. My roommate was having a party last night so I figured I would crash here with you, but you never returned." Joey said, pausing the episode he was watching before looking up at Joe. "Which begs the question, how was the ballerina in bed?"

Joe was definitely taken back by the comment, but knowing Joey, he had it coming for him. "Joey we didn't…" Joe stopped, closing his eyes to shake his head.

"The newspaper seems to think so." Joey said as Joe plopped down on the couch next to him, his eyes still closed.

"Fuck the newspapers. They have no idea what is going on." Joe mumbled opening his eyes to see the entertainment section of the newspaper lying on his coffee table in front of Joey. In one swift movement, Joe snatched up the newspaper, crushing it into a ball and hurled it across the room at nothing in particular.

Despite Joe's actions, Joey stayed calm. "So what did happen?" He asked, looking over to his best friend.

Joe let his eyes meet Joey's and he let out a sigh. "It's a long story but seeing you're here bumming in my condo it looks like you have time." He said, making himself comfortable. Joe slowly explained to Joey what had happened last night. He was thankful for his friend at the moment; he had realized that given Joe's current state, commentary would be unnecessary.

"So now we are giving each other three days to figure out what we want and how we feel about each other." Joe sighed, putting his head in his hands.

Joey thought things over for a minute before giving Joey his two cents. "Well, do you want to be able to see her right now? Did you never want to leave her this morning?" He asked, keeping his eyes on his friend.

Joe rubbed his face and looked back up at Joey. "I want to see her so badly. You have no idea how much I hated leaving her this morning." He admitted, shaking his head slightly.

"Then give things a chance. I'm not telling you to give everything up for this girl right now, but you deserve to have someone who loves you in your life." Joey said with a shrug before standing. "I have to pee." He said walking past Joe to get to the bathroom.

Joe leaned back against the couch trying to decide whether to listen to his heart or his brain. His brain told him to stay focused on his career, but his heart was telling him to run after Lauren and pull her petite frame into him. Maybe for once, he would listen to his heart and see where it got him.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5 Shining Lights

All Lauren wanted to do after getting home from another night of a near flawless performance was shower and get a decent night's sleep, but she knew she owed Julia an explanation. She walked into her apartment and dropped her bag on the floor by her feet with a melodramatic sigh. She headed into the kitchen to grab a cold water bottle before she had to talk to her friend. As she chugged the refreshing liquid, she began taking bobby pins out of her bun with her free hand. After seeing Julia out of the corner of her eye, Lauren put down the water bottle and turned to her friend.

"I guess I owe you an explanation." Lauren sighed, taking a seat on a bar stool across from where Julia was standing.

Julia nodded, pursing her lips together. "Start talking girlfriend." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest in a very motherly sort of fashion; a way that made you certain she cared about every word you were saying.

It took Lauren a minute to figure out where to start, but once she did, she didn't stop talking. The ballerina was lucky to have a friend that took every little detail into consideration and was thoughtful enough not to interrupt. In the beginning an expression of surprise mixed with shock was seen on Julia's face, but she slowly came to understand her friend.

"So now, after my performance on the 24th we are meeting back up, but I don't know what to do or what to tell him. My career means so much to me; it's what I have worked my ass off to achieve for years, but then there is Joe. Perfect in a way no one understands." Lauren rambled on, glad to be getting her thoughts off her chest.

Julia sighed and walked closer toward her friend. Unlike most of the United States population, Julia had not read the newspaper article and was judging Lauren based solely off what she had told her.

"From what I know about Joe Walker, of whom my knowledge is limited, he seems like a decent guy. Besides the fact that every girl is always swooning over him, I've never heard a bad word about him." Julia confessed. "It's just I don't want to see you get hurt Lo. You are an amazing girl who deserves someone who will treat you right and respect that your career will always mean a lot to you."

Lauren took in Julia's words with a nod of her head. "I'm so scared to do something out of the normal for me. Maybe it's time I let myself. Of course I would keep my main focus on the ballet company, but maybe it's not such a bad idea to try and let things go slow."

Julia shrugged. "Are you wanting to do this just to try things, or do actually miss him Lo? If you could have a choice, what would you want more at the moment? Joe Walker here with you or would you rather be on stage performing." Julia asked, wanting to protect her friend from doing anything stupid that she would regret.

Lauren was thoughtful for a moment. Her eyes drifted to the carpeted floor below her as she weighed her options. "Have Joe Walker here. I'm tired as hell and honestly, I slept a lot better last night than I have been the last few months. I miss him." Lauren said finally, explaining herself in a soft voice.

"Then in three days when you see him again tell him what you just said. You don't want to throw yourself into something with someone who doesn't feel the same way. The last thing you need is a guy to string you along, and have it all end in heartbreak for you. But if he feels the same way, then you guys can decide where you want to take it from there." Julia explained to her friend.

Lauren nodded and got up off of her seat to pull her friend in for a hug. 'Thanks Juls. I don't know how I would be a stable person if it wasn't for you." Lauren whispered into her ear before releasing her to head off to the shower.

That night as Lauren fell asleep in an empty bed, she craved another body next to her; someone to provide her with warmth and comfort in the cold December nights. Lauren realized that this someone in particular was Joe Walker, because last night, even with the abundance of noise entering her room from the city street below, she was able to sleep.

xXx

The night of December 24th in New York City, to say the least, was magical. Christmas was in the air and snow had been gently falling all day. It was the sort of day you would spend with family under a cozy blanket and enjoying your favorite hot beverage. Of course, Lauren Lopez's plans included none of that.

Instead the company had decided to put on two performances of the Nutcracker that day. One being held at its normal time in the evening, but another was added as a matinée. Lauren would never complain about the added hours, but Julia did put in her own two cents, saying Lauren was being overworked.

But for Lauren, there was no such thing as being overworked. She loved her job and she loved performing because for her, her job wasn't just a job, it was her passion. So, on the morning of December 24th, Lauren woke up eager to go to theater, not only to dance, but to finally be able to see Joe Walker. Because deep down inside of the little ballerina, a part of her had come to the realization that Joe Walker was what she needed.

During the first show, Lauren felt as if it was her best performance yet. The audience was great; everyone was in the Christmas spirit. The show also helped the ballerina take her mind off of what she had been preparing to say to Joe when she saw him after the second performance. It had been three days since she last saw him. Three days that she had spent realizing that she wanted to try things with Joe, but not knowing how to put her thoughts into words.

By the time the second performance rolled around, Lauren had already called Julia twice as her nerves kept building. Her friend had assured her that everything would be fine if she just used her words. With a sigh, Lauren hung up and finished redoing her lipstick before getting called to the stage.

Once on stage, Lauren didn't let her eyes scan the crowd for Joe; she knew he was already there. Instead she focused on her performance and letting herself perfect the steps she knew by heart. She kept her eyes up and shoulders back. The ballerina always carried herself with confidence on stage, even if behind the wings she was a nervous wreck.

xXx

All day before Lauren's performance, Joe had spent his time trying to figure out what he would say to her. At multiple points during the day, Joey had told him very blatantly to 'shut the fuck up' to which Joe had responded to his friend with a smack upside the head. Joey just laughed off his friend's attitude as he went back to his usual bumming.

Unlike last time, Joe went to the theater alone, leaving his condo a good thirty minutes early to avoid even more attention from the press. When he arrived, the auditorium only held a few other audience members, making it easy for Joe to find his seat. Minutes felt like hours as the actor waited for the ballet to start. Once it did, his eyes were constantly roaming the stage, waiting for a glimpse of Lauren.

The first time he saw her, the ballerina was stretching in the wings and getting rid of her last minute anxiety. As soon as she stepped on stage though, she was a completely different person. Her eyes started to sparkle with excitement and confidence as she perfected every move she made. Joe was instantly drawn into Lauren's performance, his urge to run backstage and talk to the petite ballerina was just the same, if not stronger than last time.

Joe had to force himself to stay in his seat through the rest of the performance. He knew that Lauren was only a minute's jog away, but instead he remained in place. He didn't know what Lauren wanted yet, so for now; he would have to act like he still had some sort of self-control. The longer he had to sit the more he realized he was falling in love with her.

xXx

The moment Lauren came off stage from the finale, nerves sank back into her stomach. What if Joe didn't feel the same way as her? What if he had moved on and found something better than the tiny dancer she was in the three day they had apart? Lauren sighed as she walked into her dressing room, trying to push her thoughts out of her head. As she finished taking off her pointe shoes, she felt the presence in her doorway.

"Hey Lauren." The voice spoke softly, almost like a question that was yet to be answered.

Lauren looked up from her feet to see Joe standing a few feet away from her. Instantly she wanted to run into his arms and feel her knees give as he pulled her close to him, but she knew that was too much to ask for right now. "Hey Joe." she responded standing and walking carefully over to him.

"So." Joe said lightly, though his eyes seemed to hold more emotion than his words did. "It's been three days now." he stated, shuffling his feet and sticking his hands in his pockets.

Across from him Lauren nodded her head, her fingers playing with the beads that were carefully positioned on her bodice. "Yeah." She breathed.

Moments passed as the pair stood in silence, neither knowing what the other wanted. Both were too afraid to say anything for fear of embarrassment. Finally Lauren's soft soprano voice broke the silence.

"When I was told to use my words, I thought it would be a lot easier than this." Lauren said with a nervous laugh. "Joe," She paused a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "I'm not going to lie to you because I think we both deserve a level of honesty. These last three days, I've come to a realization that maybe my career shouldn't be it for me. That maybe I need more and the reason I am thinking these things is because of you."

As Lauren took a pause, Joe jumped in before she could get another word off her tongue. "We do owe each other honesty and that's why I will say that I have missed you these past three days. I've missed your laugh, your smile, your confidence. I've missed how you can be so in the moment but such a deep thinker. I want to try this, Lauren. We can take things slow." Joe said, his electric blue eyes locking with Lauren's whiskey colored eyes that he had fallen for.

He would have said even more, but Lauren was launched herself at Joe, wrapping her arms around his waist. She let her head fall on Joe's shoulder and had stopped caring about what would become of her costume. "I've missed you too Walks." She whispered because he was the only one who needed to hear her words. "I want this too. But I want to take things slow." She added.

Joe nodded before closing his eyes and pulling Lauren in closer to him. He gently kissed the top of her head and cherished the moment the pair shared. "Come back with me Lo. Can you come spend Christmas with me?" Joe asked her

Lauren nodded, backing up a step so she could get lost in the ocean of Joe's eyes. "I would love to spend Christmas with you." she responded, a smile spreading across her face. Lauren knew that her Christmas this year might be just as magical as the New York City atmosphere around her. With Joe, anything was possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback and support so far! I really enjoy writing this so I'm glad y'all are enjoying it. The song in this part/chapter is Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran. If you have never heard it, I suggest you go listen to it. Thanks for reading!**

As Lauren made her own phone call to her roommate, Joe had pulled out his cellphone to make a somewhat similar call.  
"Hey, Joey, I know it's Christmas Eve and we planned to spend it together, but, would you mind leaving?" Joe asked his friend, ignoring the familiar sound of Mario Brothers playing in the background.  
"Ooh! Are you going to do the ballerina?" Joey said and Joe could almost hear his lopsided grin coming through the phone.  
Joe sighed and rolled his eyes at his friend's unneeded comment. "No Joey. We both agreed to take things slow. Can you please leave though; go back to your own place or go see your family or something. It's Christmas Eve; you should be able to find something to do." Joe tried to reason with his friend.  
"Fine." Joey mumbled after a moment's pause. "I'll be gone in five minutes, but I'm taking the Xbox with me." He added.  
"Thank you so much Joey." Joe stressed, letting a smile form on his lips. With that Joey hung up on him, obviously wanting to finish the level of Mario Brothers he was on before leaving. Sticking his phone back in his pocket, he turned to see Lauren smiling.  
"Julia is fine with me spending Christmas with you. Let me change out of my costume before we leave." Lauren said, her whiskey eyes lighting up with excitement before she skipped away to finish changing.

Joe laughed and shook his head at the petite ballerina's excitement, but he would have to admit, he was feeling the same way as her. He turned away as she changed, wondering how he was so lucky that Lauren Lopez would give him a chance. She had such little time to spare in her busy life and for some reason, she had chosen to give part of that free time to Joe. For that, he was thankful.

"Ready?" He heard Lauren's soft voice ask from behind him. Joe looked her way to find her wearing a simple Juilliard sweatshirt with a pair of black leggings. "I would have dressed better, but I didn't know what was going to happen" She added, shrugging her shoulders

Joe shook his head at her and took her hand. "You look wonderful." He whispered to her, smiling as he watched her blush and duck her head down. Together, they walked hand in hand out into the streets of New York City, a comfortable silence falling between the two as they made their way to Joe's condo.

"Lauren, are you hungry?" Joe asked suddenly. Up ahead of the pair, Joe had spotted a crepe stand he had been dying to try ever since he saw the tiny shack on the way to set one day. Unfortunately, with his busy schedule, he had never found time to visit the place.

Lauren nodded enthusiastically and smiled up at Joe. "Yeah. What did you have in mind?" She asked him, swinging their hands over-dramatically as they walked together trying to avoid the mass amounts of people filling up the sidewalks on Christmas Eve.

"Do crepes sound good?" Joe asked Lauren, smiling down at her. He watched as she nodded her head, her smile growing wider. "Good." He said, gently pulling Lauren along behind him as he neared the crepe stand. The little wooden building had Christmas lights strung up around it and a delightful aroma filled the air.

It only took a minute for the pair to figure out what they wanted and soon after they ordered, Lauren had her nose pressed up against the glass window, watching as the man inside made her order with such ease and expertise. From farther back, Joe's smile didn't diminish as he watched the ballerina become fascinated with such a simple task.

Jumping up and down with excitement, Lauren grabbed their order and raced back to Joe with the two to-go boxes in her arms. "Can we eat now?" She asked, as Joe took one of the boxes away from Lauren.

Joe laughed and shook his head. "Wait till we get back to my place, then I can make us some hot chocolate to go along with them. We are almost there, I promise." Joe said. He gently laced his fingers back through Lauren's and started leading the way back to the condo. The walk was short and filled with another comfortable silence as Lauren let her head rest on Joe's shoulder.

Holding true to his words, as soon as they arrived in Joe's condo, he set off to work in the kitchen as Lauren cleared Joey's mess from the table to make room for the pair of them to eat. As Joe worked, he and Lauren made small talk and enjoyed the time they had with each other.

The pair ate in silence, but smiles never left their faces. Every so often, they would look up from their food to find the person across from them had chocolate smeared across their face. As the crepes disappeared from their boxes, the laughter increased between the pair before they were finally too full and hungry to keep their eyes open for very much longer.

Joe watched as Lauren let a yawn escape her lips. As their dinner went on, Joe had seen drowsiness start to take over the petite girl. Smiling, He rose from his own seat and walked over to Lauren. "Ready for bed?" He asked her, wiping the last bit of chocolate off Lauren's cheek with his thumb.

Lauren nodded and smiled up at Joe. She stood only to be picked up off her feet by Joe, who wore a goofy smile as he began walking toward his bedroom. "I am capable of walking you know?" Lauren whispered, but placed her head into the crook of Joe's neck.

"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to when you have a strong, attractive man like me to carry you." Joe whispered back before placing a light kiss on the top of Lauren's head.

Lauren hit him playfully on the arm, but cherished the moment. Right now, she was his and there was nothing else between them. No paparazzi or crowded New York City streets; right now it was just Joe and herself enjoying some of the simplicity life had to offer in a crazy world.

As Joe laid her down in his bed, Lauren let her eyes flutter open. She watched as he stripped down to his boxers and smiled despite herself. "I could get used to this." She said softly as Joe climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Lauren, pulling her small frame into his chest. The movement almost surprised her, but it strangely felt like a feeling she had been searching for her whole life.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked her, letting one of hands move to Lauren's hair. Gently, as if to ease her to sleep, Joe played with Lauren's hair, twisting it around his fingers.

"This, just me and you and all the other simple little things in life we can share together." Lauren replied. She closed her eyes and let her body relax against Joe's as he played with her hair. That in itself was another simple thing she could let herself enjoy.

"I could get used to it too." Joe whispered, his voice laced with the slightest trace of love. Both of them, in their state of drowsiness, wouldn't catch on to Joe's tone. "Good night Lo." he added after the girl's breathing had evened and all the built up stress in her body had been released, leaving her in a peaceful state.

xXx

**Settle down with me**

**Cover me up**

**Cuddle me in**

**Lie down with me**

**Hold me in your arms**

Joe awoke to Lauren still sleeping soundly, her arms pressed up against his bare chest; his own arms wrapped around her petite frame. He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Merry Christmas." He whispered to her, watching as her eyes fluttered open.

"Merry Christmas." Lauren whispered back pressing her body farther into Joe's. She didn't want to leave the bed. Waking up next to him was the best thing she could ever ask for.

**Your heart's against my chest**

**Lips pressed to my neck**

**I've fallen for your eyes**

**But they don't know me yet**

Under the covers, the pair of them couldn't possibly be any closer than they already were. Chest to chest, they could feel one another breathing as their hearts beat as one. Lauren moved her head slightly to press a gentle kiss to Joe's neck before letting her head fall back onto her pillow.

With their foreheads pressed together and noses gently touching Joe watched as Lauren's eyes danced with a whiskey flame that was filled with so much passion. Whether it was for him or for her own career, Joe didn't care. He was falling in love with such a tiny girl that held so much emotion than anyone else he had ever met.

**And the feeling I forget**

**I'm in love now**

Joe had forgotten what it was like to be completely head over heels in love with a person, but now he knew. He knew he would fight for thing to work with Lauren, because she was someone he knew he could never let go of.

"Hey Lo." He whispered, their breaths mingling as he spoke.

Lauren nodded, a smile on her face as she waited for Joe to say what he needed to say.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

Lauren felt butterflies rise her stomach. It was a sort of ticklish feeling one would only get if they knew for sure they were in love.

"Hey Walks, I think I'm falling in love as well." A girlish grin crossed her face as Joe moved one of his hands from her waist to her face. He let his thumb rub delicately over the smooth skin of her cheek.

Joe let his lips meet Lauren's. The kiss was soft and gentle; the total opposite of what their last had been as they stood on doorstep of Lauren's apartment. This time they were both sure that this could possibly be love. And for the time being, it was a love that neither of them would deny.

**This feels like I've fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

A nervous laugh escaped the pair of them as their lips parted and their foreheads came back together. They lost themselves in each other's eyes, not needing words to explain their feelings at the moment. Never before in their lives had they been more content to spend precious time on something so simple as holding someone close to them. But love changes people.

**Settle down with me**

**And I'll be your safety**

**You'll be my lady**

Joe kissed Lauren's nose playfully and smiled as he watched her face scrunch up. He never wanted something this beautiful to get hurt. Lauren deserved to be loved. She may come across as a tiger, but in reality she was a dove. Joe had fallen in love with both sides of her and her wanted to protect her from harm. He wanted Lauren to be his, so he could wake up seeing her smile everyday.

**I was made to keep your body warm**

**But I'm cold as, the wind blows**

**So hold me in your arms**

Even with the heaters on in the room, Lauren shivered. The New York December winds could always find a way to disturb even the most peaceful of places. With Joe's arms around her, his fingertips gently stroking the exposed skin on her back, Lauren quickly warmed to his touch. Wanting more heat, she placed her head in the crook of Joe's neck and let her eyes fall closed. This was something she could get used to.

**My heart's against your chest**

**Your lips pressed to my neck**

**I've fallen for your eyes**

**But they don't know me yet**

Joe smiled as Lauren's lips met his neck once more as she fed off his body heat. He let her stay like that for a little while before moving out so he could find her eyes once more. "You have beautiful eyes." He stated, watching Lauren blush.

Lauren shook her head, knowing her eyes were nothing compared to Joe's own. His were so beautiful and so easy to get lost in. Like the ocean, they were always changing as different shades of blue rolled in and out like passing waves. These were the eyes that Lauren had let herself fall for despite the fact that they could put her career on the line.

**And the feeling I forget**

**I'm in love now**

"I love you." Lauren let herself whisper. She was surprised by her words, Lauren was never one to show her feeling in a relationship so early on. But what surprised her more is that she didn't regret saying those three heavily weighted words.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

**This feels like I've fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

"I love you too Lauren." Joe found himself saying. Never so soon has he let himself feel this way about a girl, but Lauren was something different. She deserved to hear those words.

Lauren smiled and let her lips meet Joe's once more as her hand moved to cup his cheek. Felling Joe kiss her back with just as much passion had let the ballerina realize that more than anything, she wanted to be loved.

**Yeah I've been feeling everything**

**From hate to love**

**From love to lust**

**From lust to truth**

**I guess that's how I know you**

In any given three days a person could go through a lot of emotions, but waiting on Joe might have been the hardest thing Lauren had to endure emotionally. Her feelings for this man who everybody seemed to know changed like hours passing on a clock. She wanted to hate him for bringing love into her life and distracting her from her career, but then again, there was the love. Not for the man on the big screen with perfected muscles, but for the man who told corny jokes and got scared. Joe was the man who wasn't afraid of making a fool of himself to make Lauren laugh. And because of that, Lauren wanted Joe to be hers.

**So hold you close**

**To help you give it up**

Joe pulled Lauren even closer into his chest, letting his head rest on top of hers. "Lauren." Joe said softly, breaking the silence between the two. " You know what's happening between me and you will be found out sooner or later. It'll ruin your reputation" He stated, facing reality.

"Joe, I'm not going to give you up over stupid news articles. I'll give up my reputation for you because honestly, the newspapers can guess what is going on between us, but only we know what's real." Lauren explained, keeping her voice soft and carefree.

**So kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

**Wanna be loved**

**This feels like I've fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

**Fallen in love**

Joe kissed the top of Lauren's head once more. She was a strong girl, but words could tear people down or build them up. "I will always be here for you Lauren. You don't always have to be so strong." He whispered to her, moving one hand to her hair that was currently spread out in a cloud around Lauren's head.

"I know." Lauren whispered, looking up to reassure Joe with a simple smile. "It's just sometimes I'm worried that if I'm not strong, the world will break me. Dancers can't be weak or else they never make it to the top. But you love me no matter if I'm strong or weak, so for you, I promise I will never pretend to be strong." Lauren rambled softly, but her words were cut from going any further when Joe's lips captured hers once more.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait but my summer has been busier than I had expected. This is more of a filler part, but it is fluffy. And holds some importance. But, things will start to pick up in part 8. Thanks for all the reviews and everything you guys!**

As spring started to roll into New York City, the air started to warm slightly and being outside became enjoyable. The snow had melted from the ground and life had started to return to Central Park. The newly emerged green grass was a plush blanket under the feet of any person who dared to remove their shoes. This time of the year, it was easy to forget that you were in New York City while resting under the shade the park had to offer.

For Joe and Lauren, Central Park had become a place to rendezvous: Lauren with her cup of tea and Joe with his strong coffee to get him going before having to go to set. They would sit in a quiet part of the park and discuss their daily whereabouts before sharing a quick kiss and going their separate ways.

Both Lauren and Joe were discovering that it was often difficult to find a time to meet, but neither one wanted to give up on the relationship. They were in love. Besides their meetings in Central Park almost every morning, Lauren would often spend the night at Joe's or vice versa. Simply to be held by one another was a pleasure the pair longed for. They stretched every moment they had with each other as far as it could possibly go.

"Hey Lauren, want to play a game?" Joe asked one morning as the pair sat on the dewy grass under a grove of trees. Each of them had a mug in their hand and a smile on their faces.

Lauren raised her eyebrows at Joe and tilted her head in a way that reminded him of a curious puppy. "What's the game?" She asked before taking another careful sip of her tea.

Joe smiled and scooted closer to her. He crossed his legs and set his coffee to the side as he locked his eyes on Lauren. "The game is simple. We can touch and tease each other anyway we want to, but the first one to kiss the other loses." Joe explained. He let himself move even closer to Lauren so their knees were touching.

Lauren smirked at Joe and squirmed slightly. The ballerina was never one to lose. "You're on, Walker." She said softly. Her voice held a playful bite that let him know that under no conditions she would give into him.

"I'm going to win." Joe stated, letting his forehead meet Lauren's.

Lauren shook her head and let her palms rest lightly on Joe's thighs. Keeping her eyes locked on Joe's, Lauren gently danced her fingers across the denim that covered Joe's legs. She knew he wouldn't last long, but Lauren also knew that Joe had discovered her weakness in the months that they had been together.

As Lauren traced patterns on Joe, he had moved his hands to play with the ends of her hair. He smiled as he lightly brushed a finger across Lauren's cheek. "I love you." He whispered as he started to feel himself giving into Lauren.

Lauren moved so their lips were inches apart. In all honesty, she wanted to kiss Joe so badly right now; she wanted to give in, but instead she whispered, "I love you too Wox." Lauren slowly moved her arms from Joe's thighs and wrapped them around his neck.

Joe's smiled widened as he saw Lauren bite her lip. It was a simple action, but one she only did when she had to concentrate a great deal in order to achieve her goal. The simple action was also something that Joe had fallen in love with. After letting his thumb graze of Lauren's cheek once more, he let his finger slide gently over Lauren's bottom lip.

As soon as Joe's finger was off of her lips, Lauren closed the distance, but it almost seemed as if Joe had moved in the same time as her. The kiss was slow as each of them savored the love that they shared for each other.

As they pulled away, a smile played on the corners of Lauren's lips. "You win." she whispered, climbing into Joe's lap and letting her head fall onto his chest. "Mr. Hollywood always wins the hearts of every girl he meets." Lauren said playfully. She gave him a slight nudge with her shoulder before reaching out a hand to grab her tea.

"But my heart belongs to one very beautiful ballerina." Joe replied, kissing the top on Lauren's head and pulling her small frame close to him, careful not to mess up her perfectly crafted bun. They stayed like that for some quite some time; wrapped in each other and both enjoying the respectable beverages and the comfortable silence. Unfortunately, their peace was broken when Joe looked over Lauren's head to see a camera lense peeking out from around a tree.

"Fuck Lo." Joe said, shifting his body under Lauren's weight which had become a lot more obvious in the passing seconds.

"Excuse me?" Lauren said looking up at Joe, her eyebrows raising. The girl was still unaware that just behind her back, people were snapping pictures of her personal life.

"Paparazzi." Joe muttered, standing up from his spot on the ground. He grabbed his coffee before looking around himself frantically to see where the person had gone. "I don't want you involved in this, Lauren. Just, let's go our separate ways for now." Joe rushed, his eyes never stopping on Lauren before he turned and started to hurry off.

Lauren narrowed her eyes and jogged after Joe, grabbing his lower arm forcefully to turn Joe to face her. "Hey, when I agreed to let myself fall in love with you, I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew the paparazzi would always be around and I accepted that. I don't give a fuck what the world sees in our relationship, because we are the only ones who know what is real; and what is real is that I love you." Lauren ranted, her voice rising slightly and her eyes staying locked on Joe's.

Joe sighed and shook his head at Lauren. "I just don't want you to get hurt. People say things that aren't true, and it can break you apart." He tried to reason with her, but Lauren just shook her head.

"I'm a woman. I have grown up knowing that and I have learned to ignore the rumors that are meant to tear me down.' Lauren argued, her voice holding less poison than it did before.

Joe knew that Lauren was strong and opinionated, so for today, he was done arguing with her. "I love you. I just want to protect you" Joe said eventually pulling Lauren into himself for a hug. He felt her body relax as she let her head fall to rest of his chest.

"I love you too. I understand Joe." Lauren replied softly. She pulled away slightly and stood on her tiptoes to give Joe a simple kiss. They were interrupted though, by Lauren's phone beeping from inside the pocket of her sweatpants. "Sorry, I have to go, but I'll text you during my break." Lauren said with a sad smile.

With one last hug, the pair departed and went their own ways; Lauren to the studio and Joe to set. Both had a long day of work ahead of them, but at the end of the day, they knew they would still have each other.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for all the positive reviews. The next update will be a little bit slower because I will be gone to camp for a week with no wifi, but I know where I'm taking the story so it shouldn't take too long to write. Keep on reviewing! Thanks!**

Both Lauren and Joe knew that one day filming would have to come to an end and Joe would have to fly back to Los Angeles. But this day came a lot sooner than the pair of them expected and with their love still growing by the day, neither one of them wanted to let go. But Joe going back to LA was in fact, inevitable.

Every time the pair got together, they would always dance around the topic, making small talk and not wanting to worry about the day before them. Three days before Joe left though, Lauren knew it was time to mention something. The problem was getting the nerve up to do so.  
"How are rehearsals for your spring show going?" Joe asked Lauren as they laid in his bed after dinner. He was casually running his fingers through her hair, taking in every moment they would have together.  
Lauren sighed; dance is what not what she had on her mind right now and it was not something she wanted to talk about. She was quiet for a minute as her finger gently picked at the wife-beater that covered Joe's chest. "Wox, you're leaving. What are we going to do?" Lauren asked in a whisper, her eyes meeting Joe's. "We can't avoid this for much longer."

Joe took in a deep breath and tucked a piece of Lauren's hair behind her ear. "I don't want to leave, Lo. I want to be with you, but I have to go." He told her, looking over her head, not able to meet her misty eyes.

"How long will you be gone?" She asked him, laying one hand on his cheek.

Joe hadn't even thought about the length of time he would have to be away from Lauren. It was something he preferred not to think about at all. "A month, maybe two." He replied, finally looking down at her. "I have to be in LA for the premiere and for a few interviews and what not, but I promise you Lo, I will be back." He added. He gently kissed the top of Lauren's head and pulled her small frame closer to him.

"But I don't want you to leave me." Lauren mumbled into his chest.

"I don't want to leave you either, but let's make the most of the time we have left together. Joe said softly. He moved one of his hands from Lauren's back to her hair once more, knowing that the simple action of him playing with her hair always seemed to soothe her.

Lauren looked up at Joe, a delicate smile now in her face. She pushed herself up so her forehead was against his. It was only them that she muttered a simple 'okay'. Lauren moved her hands up to behind Joe's neck and gave him a soft kiss that was gratefully returned.

"Hey Joe?" Lauren asked, her voice a little shaky for the fact that her nerves had kicked in. She took in a deep breath as she watched Joe nod, showing that he was listening to every word she was saying. "In three days you are leaving, but for now you are here, and I want all of you. I know that's selfish because all I can give you in return is myself. I understand if you don't want to." Lauren went on. Her voice was unsteady from her lack of security, but she had asked him anyways.

"Lauren." Joe said with a smile on his face. He tilted her chin up so her eyes were once again level with his. "I would love that. And don't act like you are nothing; being able to make love to you would be special, to both of us. I love you Lo." Joe said, kissing the tip of Lauren's nose.

Lauren giggled nervously as Joe kissed her. "I love you too." She whispered before leaving a trail of kisses along his jawline. Over the months that they had been together, Lauren had learned that his jawline was Joe's weakness, making him bite his lip to keep the groans from leaving his mouth.

"Lauren" Joe breathed, letting his hands slip under Lauren's oversized sweatshirt and gently stroke the skin on her back. As Lauren continued to kiss him, Joe gently started to tug on the hem of her sweatshirt, as if asking permission before removing the article of clothing.

"Go ahead." Lauren whispered softly into Joe's ear.

Not long after Lauren's sweatshirt was removed, most of the other clothing fell to the ground around the bed. Neither one of them felt a desperate need to rush though. Instead, they took their time getting to know every single bump, line, and scar of their opposite. They kissed each other slowly and passionately, like they had all the time in the world.

It was only after they took hours to familiarize themselves with each other that they both finally gave every part of themselves to the other. Like any two people in love, they stopped worrying about their crazy lives around them. Instead they enjoyed the precious time they had left together.

xXx

"Lauren?" Joe whispered after their breathing had once more become even and their hearts stopped pounding in their chests.

"Yes?" She replied, looking up at Joe, a drowsy smile on her lips.

"How did you get that scar on your cheek?" He asked, brushing his thumb over the small indent on the left side of Lauren's face.

Lauren laughed lightly and shook her head. "It's a quite stupid reason." She said, but she continued anyways. "I was fourteen. As I was coming off stage from my solo in my company's recital, the ribbons on one of my pointe shoes had untied. I fell into the wings off stage and landed on an earring that had fallen out of someone's ear. I was forever scarred." Lauren explained, laughing slightly at her own misfortune.

Joe laughed and kissed Lauren's scar delicately. "You are a hot mess sometimes." he whispered playfully, earning himself a light smack on his cheek from Lauren. "But I love it, because it means I can always be here to take care of you." He went on.

"I don't _always _need you." Lauren replied, allowing her head to rest on Joe's chest and her eyelids flutter closed due to her drowsiness.

"You are wrong." Joe replied lightly, wrapping his arms around Lauren's waist. He kissed the top of Lauren's head one last time before closing his eyes. "I love you Lo." He sighed softly, the sound barely audible over from the noise of the New York City traffic below. He stayed awake until Lauren's breaths had evened, only then did he allow sleep to fall over his body.

xXx

From his pocket, Joey pulled out the spare key that Joe had given him to his condo. It was not unlike the young man to show up at Joe's place uninvited and at random times, so he thought nothing when he opened the door.

The place was quiet, even for the early morning. Joe was normally up and had made himself a cup of coffee by now. Walking past the living room, Joey made his way to his friend's bedroom. On his way there, he completely missed the fact that several of Lauren's items laid scattered around the condo.

"Hey Walker! I was wondering if you wanted to go-" Joey started to say, but he stopped himself when he opened Joe's bedroom door. He let himself smile crookedly as his eyes scanned the room. Clothes were carelessly thrown across the room and in bed lay Lauren and Joe. They were tangled up in each other and the sheets were a mess. It was easy to see what had went down the previous night.

"Joe my friend, you got laid." Joey whispered quietly, closing the door on his friend.

Before leaving the condo, Joey took out his phone and sent a quick message to Joe, knowing that his vibrating phone would wake him.

xXx

Joe awoke to his phone vibrating on his bedside table. He waited for the sound to stop before opening his eyes, and once he did, he remembered all that had happened last night. They had sex; Lauren was his, forever and always.

Smiling, Joe looked down to see Lauren snuggled against his chest and her hair a mess. "Good morning beautiful." He said quietly, attempting to push her hair out of her face. When there was no response from Lauren, Joe untangled one of his arms and grabbed his phone.

Seeing he had one unread message from Joey, Joe was a bit puzzled; normally his friend wasn't up at this hour. He opened the message anyways and was speechless. Having nothing to say back to Joey, Joe put his phone back down and pulled Lauren closer to him one more.

xXx

"_Looks like you finally did the ballerina. So, how was she?"_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So I lied. I am updating the day before I leave foe a week. There will be no access to technology so I won't be writing any at camp. When I get home I will start on the next part though. Thanks for all the positive reviews! **

Letting Joe go was one of the hardest things Lauren had ever had to do in her life, but she did it anyways. She didn't have a choice, but she trusted that he would be back for her. She tried not to miss him though, and in doing so, she buried herself deeper and deeper into the world of dance. With the spring show just around the corner, she spent almost all of her time in the studio perfecting the routines she knew by heart.  
Julia had insisted that she take some time away from dance to relax, but Lauren refused. Outside the studio walls, even the littlest of things reminded her of Joe. In the month that he had been gone, Lauren had stopped visiting Central Park every morning. She avoided anything that would bring back memories.  
The only thing that kept her going was the fact that Joe would be coming back, and soon. With the month almost over, it would be only one week till his return. One week till Lauren would be pulled into his arms that supported her even though her knees weakened.  
xXx

With a sigh, Lauren rolled out of bed. The last week, she hadn't been feeling her best, but she kept going anyways. She figured it was just a stomach bug or something she could get over with a few vitamins and a warm cup of tea. The ballerina didn't have time to visit the doctor anyways.

Lauren left the apartment before Julia even started to stir. With her dance bag over her shoulder and a cup of tea in her hand, she traveled the city streets making her way to the studio. It was during this time that she always pondered what had happened to Joe when he was out in LA.

Sure, they always stayed in contact with each other, but Lauren doubted herself. She thought Joe would find someone better than her. All she wanted was him back, telling her that he loved her. Only that would cure Lauren's negative thoughts.

Once in the studio though, Lauren instantly let her mind fill with what needed to be perfected. Being one of the main dancers in the spring show, she knew she had to live up to everyone's expectations. She had to be flawless.

"Dancers in the spring show, we are doing a tech run through in fifteen minutes and I expect all of you to be there!" The arts director, Sharron, yelled to the room of dancers who had recently finished their barre class.

Lauren was one of these dancers, and although the feeling in her stomach had been getting worse all day, she knew she had to be at the tech run through. There was no time to take off. Gathering her things, Lauren stood and made her way to the auditorium where she would wait until the dancers were called to begin.

It wasn't long before the drawn out and boring process of the tech run through began. Being one of the main dancers, Lauren was constantly running off and on stage, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling that only seemed to be getting worse.

She had always been one to push past the pain, but as she went on for the finale, she knew she couldn't take her nausea much longer. Half way through the piece, Lauren ran off stage, avoiding the crowd of dancers. She made it to the trash can only seconds before emptying the contents of her stomach.

Once done, the ballerina collapsed to the ground with her hand between her knees. Her breaths were heavy as she tried to focus on anything other than the foul taste in her mouth. The last thing she felt like doing was standing up and dancing.

"Lauren." a gentle voice said as they laid a hand on her shoulder. It was Sharron. Despite the unapologetic demeanor, the arts director actually cared a lot about the dancers and their well-being. "Are you okay?" She asked, squatting down to her level.

Lauren took a shaky breath and looked up at Sharron. "I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes." she stated, still hoping her body would recover in time to be dancing by the end of lunch break.

"You look pale. You need to go see a doctor. Take the rest of the day off and I'll have another dancer catch you up tomorrow." Sharron replied, helping the ballerina stand.

Over a year of dancing with the Royal Ballet Company, Lauren had learned never to say no to Sharron. Maybe she was right anyways; a tip to the doctor might fix things and she could be back on her feet by tomorrow.

Thanking Sharron, Lauren collected her things and changed shoes before making it back out onto the busy streets. It was hell trying to get a taxi, but eventually she did. The whole ride the ballerina's stomach kept on churning in an unpleasant fashion, and she had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before she would taste bile creeping up her throat.

Her suspicions were confirmed correct when as soon as Lauren stepped out of the taxi, her stomach decided it wanted nothing to do with anything that was inside it. With a sigh, Lauren wiped her mouth with her sleeve and continued inside to the hospital.

The wait wasn't long and soon she was with a doctor. The woman seemed pleasant enough and willing to help. Lauren had never liked doctors, but she figured she could live with this one.

"So, Mrs. Lopez, why are you here today?" She asked, a friendly smile forming on her lips as she pulled out her tablet to take notes on.

Holding her stomach as if that would keep the bile down, Lauren spoke. "I've been feeling nauseous all day and I've thrown up twice. I'm just tired. It should only be a stomach bug." She said quietly.

The doctor took a few notes before taking out a thermometer to check Lauren's temperature. "Well, Miss Lopez, you don't have a fever. If you don't mind me asking, when was the last time you engaged in any sort of sexual activity?" She asked, removing the thermometer and taking a seat across from her patient.

"Well, about a month ago." The ballerina replied slowly. She had no idea why that would have to do with the way she was feeling.

"Miss. Lopez, you might be pregnant. I want to do a sonogram to make sure, but that's what this sounds like to me." The doctor announced, turning her eyes back to her tablet.

Lauren gawked at her. "There's no way. We were careful. I don't understand." She said shaking her head. She couldn't even begin to wrap her head around the thought of having a child. If she was pregnant, Lauren knew her whole life would be ruined; no more dance, and most likely, no more Joe.

"Did you miss your period?" the doctor questioned, raising an eyebrow at Lauren.

She thought back. With everything going on in her life lately, she had failed to recognize that she was late. "Well, yeah, but..." Lauren trailed off. "I want a sonogram to make sure. Right now I'm so confused." she admitted after a moment. With a sigh, she placed her head in her hands.

"If you would follow me then, Miss. Lopez. We can get that set up for you." The doctor said. She stood and walked over to the door, holding it open for her patient.

Taking another breath, Lauren stood slowly and made her way to the door. Now, more than ever, she felt as if she was going to throw up. The trip to the dimly lit room was made in silence; Lauren was too nervous to talk and the doctor didn't want to say one wrong thing to the confused girl .

As Lauren got situated in the chair, she kept her eyes closed. At the moment, reality wasn't something she wanted to face. It was only when she felt a cool, gel-like liquid hit her abdomen that she opened her eyes, daring herself to look up at the black and white monitor.

As the doctor laid the wand on Lauren's exposed skin, she tried not to focus on the fact that her heart was beating a hundred times faster than it should be. She also tried to ignore the fuzzy sensation in her toes that came from her own nerves.

On the monitor, Lauren couldn't make out one thing from another. Instead of straining her eyes, she instead looked to the doctor's face, waiting to hear the news that would forever change her life. After a moment their eyes met, and Lauren knew what the outcome was before the words even needed to be spoken.

"Miss. Lopez, You're pregnant." The doctor said smoothly before returning her eyes to the monitor. With her free hand she pointed to a small, bean-like shape near the center of the screen. "That's your baby." She said with a slight smile, not knowing how the young woman would act towards the news.

Lauren didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to say. Her career was ruined; over before it had ever begun. After giving birth to a child, her body would never be the same. It would no longer be the body of a professional ballerina.

And all Lauren could think to do was blame Joe.

She wanted to do anything to him that would equal the amount of pain she was going through now. She wanted to smack him so hard or get her fist on him in any way shape or form. She wanted to kick him until he bled. But she knew that would never compare to what she was feeling. The worst part about it though was that she still loved him.

She needed Julia.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry it took me a while to update. I've been trying to finish some stuff up before school starts next week. But I would like to address why Lauren received a sonogram in the last part. I know it was unnecessary, but Lauren wouldn't have believed she was pregnant if she couldn't see it. She had to see her child. But thank you for all the positive reviews!**

Julia looked up from her laptop as she heard the front door of her apartment slam close. Looking down at her watch, she knew something was off. Lauren was home way before her normal time. With the spring show coming up, the ballerina had been getting home around half past ten each night.

"Hey Lo, is something wrong?" Julia asked, standing up from her desk and making her way into the small area that could be referred to as a living room. The young authoress didn't hear a reply from her friend, but what she saw before her eyes was enough to answer her question.

It appeared as though as soon as Lauren had slammed the door, her petite frame crumpled to the ground. All of her belongings lay around her except one object that the young girl had kept in her hand. It seemed as if Lauren was holding onto if for dear life; her small fist wrapped around the object that looked like some sort of paper or photograph.

Cautiously, Julia made her way over to her friend and sat down next to her. "Lauren, what is it?" She asked, her voice soft and steady. She didn't want to pressure the girl who had obviously just been through a storm.

Without removing her head from between her knees, Lauren handed her friend the crumpled up object. She held it out towards Julia. The only sounds coming from her were muffled sobs.

Julia took the object from her, realizing the material was photo paper. Not knowing what to expect, she began to slowly unfold the crumpled picture. It was a sonogram. It was now clear to Julia what her friend was crying about; Lauren was pregnant.

With a sigh, Julia laid the sonogram by her side and wrapped her arms around Lauren. "Oh Lo." She whispered. "Go shower. I'm going to make us some tea." She added after a moment. She didn't want to address the situation until Lauren had calmed down a little bit.

The little ballerina stood and the first thing Julia noticed was the look in her eyes. They seemed distant and dark. They looked as if they could cry no more. They held no emotion what so ever. Her cheeks were the opposite; stained red and raw from tears. Without a word, she made her way to the bathroom.

xXx

Lauren didn't even look at herself in the mirror. She didn't need to know she was a mess. She knew her face clearly reflected how she felt; lost and confused. She was feeling too many emotions to pick out just one. She was going to be a mother.

She didn't know how long she simply stood in the shower, but it was long enough for her skin to become immune to the immense amount of heat. As she cleaned herself off, Lauren's hands avoided her lower abdomen as if that would take away the reality. It didn't.

As she emerged from the bathroom, now clad in an oversized Juilliard sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants that had belonged to Joe, Julia stood in their kitchen, a mug of tea in each hand. Lauren could smell it, it was the spearmint tea she always saved for emergencies. It was the favorite of both her and Julia and something they used sparingly and never took for granted.

Julia gave Lauren a soft smile as she met her in the living room. "You know we need to talk about this." She said, handing her friend a mug.

Lauren nodded. She knew she had to talk; that didn't mean she wanted to, but she needed to. Right now, Julia was the closest thing Lauren had to family. Like always, she deserved to know.

The pair of friends sat down on the couch so they were able to look at each other and hold a conversation. For a little bit, the only sounds coming from them were the quiet slurps of hot tea.

"I'm not going to make you talk, you know that right?" Julia asked finally.

Lauren nodded.

Julia sighed.

It was quiet.

"I'm going to be a mom." Lauren spoke feebly. If she could cry anymore, there would have already been tears on her cheeks. Her eyes still looked distant, like they were looking through things instead of at them.

It was Julia's turn to nod her head. She would let Lauren speak, for the ballerina was still trying to tell the truth to herself. It was hard not to give her own two cents yet, but Julia held back for her own friend's benefit.

"I can't wrap my head around why though; we used protection. I mean, I haven't been on the pill. I never found a reason why I should be till now. Why did this happen Juls? I'm in the middle of my dream career and everything is going perfect, but now..." Lauren shook her head. Her words had been quiet as she tried to reason with herself.

"I don't know why it would happen Lo, but it did. It's going to be hard to accept, but I'm going to be here for you." Julia put in, trying to look Lauren in the eyes, but the smaller girl only had eyes for the mug of tea in her hand.

"I don't even know what I'm going to do with this child. I could never bring myself to have an abortion, but after childbirth, I'll never be able to dance professionally again. Sharon already 'asked me to leave' the company after I told her about the baby today. So now I'm jobless, knocked up, and Joe will probably leave me." Lauren said, her voice now shaky.

At the mention of Joe, Julia froze. Lauren had that man whipped, yet she thought he was going to leave her. He loved her too much to forget about Lauren. "Lo, He's not going to leave you." Julia stated, resting a hand on her friend's knee.

Lauren shook her head. "We're not ready for a child, him a lot more than me. He may have been able to commit to me, but now that we have a baby involved things are going to change." she stated, as if it was the truth.

Julia knew she could not change Lauren's opinion. That girl was too stubborn for her own good sometimes. "Just promise me you will tell him you're pregnant." She said with a sigh.

"Okay."

xXx

Lauren had a whole week to plan out how she was going to tell Joe she was carrying their child without breaking down. A whole week to act like nothing was wrong when she spoke to him over the phone. It was hell. Her whole life was at the moment.

With no job, she spent her days moping around her apartment. She ate little, threw up often, and went through all the spearmint tea in a matter of days. Julia tried everything to keep Lauren's mind off of Joe and the baby, but nothing worked.

On the day Lauren knew Joe was returning to New York City, she was feeling worse than ever. Her morning sickness had caused her to spend more time by the toilet bowl rather than trying to make herself look presentable. She was irritable, causing Julia to stay outside the bathroom rather than inside trying to comfort her friend.

"Julia, He's home and I don't what the fuck to do." Lauren said, walking into Julia's office. In her hand she held her phone. He skin was pale, but Julia didn't know if that was caused by the vomiting or Lauren's fright.

"First, take a deep breath. Second, clean up a bit. Third, go talk to him." Julia said truthfully.

"Don't baby me." Lauren said with a scowl before walking off.

Julia sighed. She loved Lauren so much, but right now she was becoming too much to handle.

After Lauren turned her back on Julia, she did clean up, though not much. She threw on a fresh pair of clothes, but found no reason to put on makeup or remove her hair from the messy bun on top of her hair. Before leaving she called out to Julia, "I'm off to Joe's, probably coming back single."

"Call me when you're on your way home." was all Julia responded with.

xXx

Joe had arrived back to his condo in New York City fifteen minutes prior to Lauren Lopez busting through his front door. When he first looked over to see his girlfriend, he smiled. It had been over a month since he had last seen her and all Joe wanted has his ballerina back in his arms. But it wasn't long before his smile faded.

In all honesty, Lauren looked like shit. From his point of view, she looked pale, malnourished, sleep deprived, and sickly. There was no hint of a smile on or face or in her eyes. In fact, her eyes held a flame he had only seen a few times before. It was a flame that he knew would easily become a fire.

"Lauren, what's wrong?" He asked, walking over to her in a rushed manner. He put his hands on her shoulders only to have them shrugged off moments later.

"You want to know what's wrong, Joe?" She asked, the venom clear in her voice making him back up a few steps. "What's wrong is that I'm fucking pregnant. Apparently it doesn't matter if we use protection or not, because I've always been part of that one percent that gets everything in their lives fucked up! So no, I'm not ok, Joe! I'm jobless and pregnant and have no idea how I'm going to take care of a fucking baby!" As Lauren took out all her frustration on Joe, she paced in front of him, waving her arms around in a wild manner.

Joe was speechless. Lauren was pregnant. His child was currently growing inside of the woman he loved. He was in no way ready to be a parent by any means, but with Lauren, he was willing to try. "Lo, it's going to be okay." He said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Don't tell me it's fucking going to be okay. That's bullshit! We don't know the first thing about being parents! But you know what, that doesn't matter because you're just going to run off and leave me and this baby mess for your perfect life out in Hollywood. And Joe, I want to hate you so bad right now and I want to kick your ass, but I can't bring myself to do it." She continued, a fire blazing in her eyes as she turned on Joe.

"I can't do it, because I still love you." She finished softly. In her anger, she had let all of her walls down. She was never planning on telling Joe that last part, but she let it slip and she hated herself for it. It was a small mistake that would leave her even more broken hearted when Joe really did move past her silly little life.

"Lauren." Joe sighed as he saw her shift her eyes to the floor. "You're right, we are both completely and totally unprepared to be parents, but that doesn't mean I am going to leave you. I still love you." He said soothingly. He hoped his words could comfort her enough. He knew that at the moment, she would not being accepting to his touch.

"You won't though." Lauren said, as if it was the obvious truth. "As soon as this baby comes, you're going to realize it's too much and leave me."

"God Lauren." Joe mumbled running "I love you so damn much, but you won't listen. I'm not leaving you. I'm going to take care of you." He said, daring to his hands back on her shoulders.

This time she did not shrug them off, she was too tired to do that now. She was becoming mentally and physically drained. "I don't want you to take of me Joe. I need to be able to take care of myself." Lauren said with a shake of her head. She might have been tiring, but her voice still held venom.

"Lauren, I love you and I want to take care of you and our child. Please accept that." He was begging now. All he wanted to do was to pull Lauren close and hold her. He wanted to spend the night with her again, her with a mug of tea and himself with his coffee. He wanted to sleep with Lauren's back pressed against his chest and her legs intertwined with his. "I can't lose you Lauren." He mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I can't accept your love Joe. You can do so much better than me. All I'm going to do is fuck up your career." Lauren said before turning on her heel and walking out of her condo. She did the only thing she could think of to do in the situation, she listened to her brain instead of her heart.

Because of her internal battle, Joe was left standing staring at the door that Lauren had just walked out of. The only thing he could think to do was to make himself a cup of spearmint tea.


	11. AN

**A/N: No sorry, this is not an update, but I wanted to let you know that if any of y'all have a tumblr, I do post updates concerning Shining Lights on there. You can either track the tag Shining Lights or follow me. My URL is hugswithbutterflykisses**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! They mean a lot!**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: My first week of school was this past week. I'm in all advanced classes so I have no idea when I will be able to write & edit, but I made a promise to myself that I would finish this series. Thank you for all the reviews :)**

Joe hated the spearmint tea. He hated how the smell reminded him of Lauren and her small body pressed up against him. He hated how it felt going down his throat; the liquid was warm and slick. It was the total opposite of coffee. But then again, he had always been the total opposite of Lauren.  
"I need her." Joe whispered to himself after draining the last of the tea out of his mug.  
He had tried not to cry over her and act like it would be easy to get her back, but once Lauren had her mind set, it took a lot to change it. The girl was as stubborn as a mule and although Joe loved her, this was no movie and he had no idea how to get his girl back.  
Joe got up from the couch and made his way into the kitchen to wash out his mug. He didn't know what to do with himself without Lauren. She was the sole reason he had come back to New York, and now she was gone. How could she ever think he could find someone better than her? Yes, she was pregnant and that would throw his own life into a pit of messy reality, but he still loved her.  
Out of habit, Joe pulled his phone out of his pocket to make sure he hadn't missed any calls or texts from Lauren. He silently cursed at himself for doing so after seeing there was none. He should have known better than to have any hope at the moment. He had no idea how to get her back into his arms.

But he knew someone who would.

xXx

"_Give me your phone,"_

"_Why?" Joe asked, holding his phone above his head in a playful manner. He chuckled as he watched Lauren jump around him, trying to reach the object she wanted. _

"_Because, I want to put Julia's number in it." She grunted as she continued to hop around him. She would not give up on her mission to get his phone. _

"_Why would I need Julia's number?" Joe asked her, his eyebrows coming together to form a puzzled expression. _

"_Because," Lauren said as she stopped jumping around to look Joe in the eyes. "If I ever do anything stupid or get myself hurt, I want you to be able to let Julia know. She takes care of me like a mother in this crazy city of shining lights. She'll always be there for me." Lauren explained, crossing her arms over her chest. She spoke in such a way that was almost condescending. _

"_Fine." He said handing his phone over to his girlfriend. "I don't think I'll ever need it though. You tend to take pretty good care of yourself." He added, ruffling Lauren's hair with his free hand._

_Lauren smirked and swatted his hand away. Despite his words, she added her friend's number into Joe's phone. _

xXx

When Julia's phone vibrated, she was in the middle of trying to avoid Lauren. As soon as she had gotten home the petite girl had spoken nothing, but had erupted into a cleaning frenzy. It was obvious to Julia that Lauren had been crying. That was not a good indication how things went with Joe, but right now Julia was too afraid to ask.

Before checking her phone, Julia made she sure was well out of Lauren's view, which meant locking herself in her bedroom. The text was from an unidentified number, but Julia had a feeling it was Joe. How he had received her number, Julia had no idea, but she opened the text anyways.

"Julia, I fucked up. I need her back. I love her and miss her so much. I'm such a douche for not going after her when she left. Please help me. I don't deserve her, but I love her so much." Julia read Joe's text aloud to herself. She made sure to keep her voice down; she didn't need Lauren hearing her.

After reading the text several times, Julia was more confused about what had happened at Joe's condo. She realized the only way she would find out would be to call the only person who was reaching out to talk to her about it, and in doing so, she would have to help him.

She sighed as she dialed Joe's number, hoping that she was making the right decision by calling him. Lauren deserved to be happy, but Julia was starting to doubt is Joe brought her any happiness at all anymore. It had been days since she had seen her normally optimistic friends smile.

Joe answered quickly and Julia instantly knew that the boy had been waiting for his phone to ring or vibrate since he sent his text twenty three minutes ago. He instantly started rambling nonsense into his end of the phone. His words blended together so Julia had no idea what he was saying.  
"Whoa there, take a deep breath Joe. I have no idea what's going on, so could you please explain to me calmly?" Julia asked, trying to keep her voice down, yet attempting to comfort the frantic actor. From the other end, Julia heard him breathe deeply before speaking again.

"Lauren thinks she doesn't deserve me, and I let her leave. I'm such a fucking idiot Julia. I let her leave! I told her I loved her, but I didn't stop her when she walked out my door. I love her so much, and she could never be more wrong. I'm the one who doesn't deserve her." Joe rambled on, obviously distressed.

"Do you know about the baby?" Julia asked him slowly. By the way Joe was talking, she wouldn't be surprised if Lauren had left that little detail out during her visit.

"Yes, she did." Joe answered slowly. He paused and took another deep breath before continuing. "Lauren thinks I deserve more than to be buried under the weight of being a parent, but with her, I would do anything. I tried telling her I would help her through all of this, but she didn't want my help. I didn't know what else I could do to convince her that I still love her, so she left. I need help. "Joe said.

Julia sighed and shook her head. Lauren wouldn't accept anyone's love right now. "I don't know what to tell you Joe. I'm sorry. She's really only thinking about herself right now, and not how her actions are affecting others. She's pushing people away, even me." She explained to him as she moved to sit on her bed. She had a feeling this would be a long conversation.

"I need her." Joe mumbled his voice barely audible.

"Lauren doesn't want to admit it to herself, but she needs you too." Julia spoke the truth. For the past few months it had always been Lauren and Joe, one never without the other, but now they were separated by Lauren's own blindness.

"Then why did she leave?" Joe asked, choking on his own words.

"Because she's being an idiot. I don't care if you have to pull a knight in shining armor and sweep her off her feet, but please, find some way to show her you love her." Julia said/ She had to remind herself to keep her voice down as she heard Lauren's footsteps draw closer to her room.

"How? And when? She wouldn't even let me touch her when I saw her today." Joe said, his words full of hurt.

Julia sighed. "She's trying to protect herself from loving you. She's listening to her brain instead of her heart." Julia tried to explain; even though she found the way that Lauren was acting childish.

"Then what do I do?" Joe asked yet again.

"Hold her close, even if she pushes you away." Julia meant it both literally and figuratively; that was the only way the pair would get out of this mess.


End file.
